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Scammers are Devious
Who doesn’t want to succeed and get rich quick?
Not a day goes by that I don’t get an email scam sent to me.
They appear innocent enough. Most are offers to assist me with marketing my books in one way or another. Get featured in our book club. Let me make your books viral on TikTok. I can help you make your website draw millions of views. My review will be seen by multitudes. Let’s talk about making your book a movie/TV show.
Some of the more clever ones take the basic info from a story or series blurb and incorporate it in the message in such a way that it looks legit. It looks as if they have, in fact, read your story and are interested.
The unwary might get sucked in. Who doesn’t want to succeed and get rich? I’ve never met an author who would object to becoming a bestseller. The scammers play off this and offer all sorts of helpful notions – usually for a “small fee” that will guarantee more people will discover and read your work.
Looks too good to be true? That’s because it’s not.
Some of the obvious signs of fakes
The first obvious sign is the email address the message comes from. Nine times out of 10, it’s a Gmail account. Granted, I do work for a company where we use Gmail accounts to do our business. But when the email address looks like it’s a bot, or doesn’t connect to the business or organization they claim to represent, it’s probably scammers.
The second obvious sign is the salutation. “Dear author” immediately tells me this is formulaic. “Dear *insert email address here* is just as bad. Yes, sometimes they use my pen name, and that might get me to read the actual message they send. But it’s easy to get the bots to insert names in emails.
The third obvious sign of scammers is the same email to multiple addresses. You’ve hit the address I use as my “Contact me” email and another address I use for business. Same exact message, both addresses. Looks legit to me (NOT).
The fourth obvious sign is a bogus website. This one can be a tad trickier to see, especially when a short link is used. Also, you should be especially careful about clicking any link in any email (that way lies madness, viruses, and malware). The safer route is to look up the “business” and see if they have a website. If they do, see if the dots connect. More than once, I found the so-called business, and in no way, shape, or form, could I associate the email address with it. Or it’s a single-page website that lacks a ton of detail. My other favorite was a URL that lacked the name of the so-called agency.
These are some of the more obvious signs of fakes. Unfortunately, some are far harder to spot.
Scammers clone accounts
Cloned accounts are a huge problem. And not just on social media. Cloned email accounts can misguide, misdirect, and cost you.
I once got a message from an editor for a legitimate publishing company. When I looked her up, there she was on their website. But the email address looked wrong. A Google search for how said publishing company created emails for their employees confirmed it was a clone.
For the record, I contacted the legitimate human and shared her clone info with her. She thanked me for that and let me know they’d address it.
The cleverest scammers know how to tug at your heartstrings, stir your emotions, and excite you. Here’s someone offering me something I can use to promote my book(s).
Sometimes it’s easy to see the fake. Usually, this is when they praise the innovation and awesomeness of a given book – the book in the middle of the series. We can help get more people to read this amazing story! Uh huh. The story that picks up where the previous book ended in a cliffhanger? Right.
Some of the cleverest are the hardest to confirm. Scammers are sharp.
An example
Last week, I got what looked like a legit request:
Dear MJ Blehart,
My name is ****, and I’m reaching out from ****, a New Orleans based platform dedicated to connecting authors with an audience that actively seeks thoughtful, story-driven discussions.
We’re currently featuring authors whose work offers compelling storytelling and meaningful themes, and your book, Unexpected Witness, immediately caught our attention.
What drew us in is how your story blends a gripping interstellar investigation with deeper questions about identity and justice, as Marshal Onima Gwok teams up with an infantry clone once discarded after war to unravel a mystery that hints at something far more dangerous than a simple murder.
We would love to invite you to join us for a recorded author interview, where we can explore:
- The inspiration behind your book
- The themes and experiences that shaped the story
- Your creative process and journey as an author
We focus on highlighting authors whose work resonates deeply with listeners who value meaningful, character-driven stories.
We’d be happy to schedule the conversation at a time that works best for you and feature your work in an upcoming segment.
Would you be open to joining us for a conversation? I’d be glad to coordinate the details with you.
Points in favor: My name, their interest is in book 1 of the series, and the summation of the series is just deep enough to go beyond the blurb.
Here’s the problem: A Google search for the platform name turned up NOTHING on page 1. Right there, the legitimacy is called into question. While I did find a podcast of the same name, it didn’t look like they would interview a sci-fi author.
So maybe it IS legit, but will anything worth my time and energy come of it? Likely, no.
What motivates the scammers?
I guess that depends on the scam. Will they charge you a small fee for their services? Somehow, will connecting with them put malware on your device? Are they just assholes who like to waste your time, effort, and energy?
As the scammers get sharper, their motivations get foggier. The old adage – let the buyer beware – must be regarded. If it looks too good to be true, comes out of nowhere, and running a search can’t confirm legitimacy, it probably is the work of scammers.
Scammers are devious. They waste your time and energy, and can mess with you mentally and emotionally. Guarding yourself and your work is important. But be careful not to become so paranoid that an actual, factual message escapes your attention. Stay wary, but open at the same time.
Lastly, responding to a message that looks largely legitimate, with questions, can often do no harm. The response you receive – if any – might show further evidence of the scam or offer proof of legitimacy. Just be cautious and don’t share anything that might lead to losing money or providing access somewhere that should remain private.
Scammers are devious, but wary artists can spot and avoid them.
Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you every week, please consider this: How are you inspired and empowered to be your own authentic creator, whatever form that takes?
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